Re: [Trisquel-users] is usb 3.0 software free software?

[onpon4]

I'm not so sure it's a pedantic distinction. Even if the typical  
implementation of an open standard is with a proprietary program, it's still  
an open standard. I think Oracle's proprietary Java implementation is quite  
popular on GNU/Linux, for example, and Sun's used to be before Sun was  
aquired by Oracle. But that doesn't make Java "proprietary". Similarly, even  
if the hardware we're all using that is a part of a USB connection runs on  
some sort of proprietary embedded firmware (which is quite likely), that  
doesn't make USB itself "proprietary". So to ask if USB is "free software" is  
meaningless.

On the other hand, asking whether the standard is open is meaningful. If the  
standard is patent-encumbered, libre software implementing or supporting the  
standard has to worry about legal problems until the patents expire. If the  
standard is secret, we have to reverse-engineer it before libre software can  
implement or support it. But if the standard is open, libre software can be  
made to implement or support it right now. All of this is irrespective of  
what kind of software is currently being used to implement or support the  
standard.